Uploading to the Plane Plotter server directly from the Raspberry Pi
Getting started - posted by Malcolm in the Plane Plotter Yahoo group
I think we're ready to try a basic uploader. However please note the following words of caution:
1.It will only work on a Raspberry Pi or similar system running Raspian Linux. It is very unlikely to work on other systems.
2.The uploader does not currently support MLAT/GS/MU or hypersharing or any of that fancy stuff. Hopefully in the future, but not yet.
3.You can continue to connect to your RPi from your PC and upload from the PC as normal. If you are a GS/MU you can still do Mlats/SMU and all the stuff you used to do. No changes should be required at the PC end.
Ok - To use the uploader do the following:
1.Update your dump1090 installation with the latest github source. Recompile everything and restart dump1090. The current version is 1.07.0610.13. (i.e. 6 October 2013).
2.Make sure the new dump1090 is working with Plane Plotter as normal.
3.You must then go to
Dump1090 Software Registration Request and enter your details, and the co-ordinates of your RPi, or more specifically your antenna. You will then be e-mailed your own personal copy of a file called coaa.h. Copy this file to your home directory for safe keeping, and also to the directory containing your dump1090 code to overwrite the dummy version supplied in the download.
4.At the RPi command prompt type "make -f makeppup1090". This should recompile a program called ppup1090 (ppup stands for plane plotter upload). If you haven't downloaded you own version of coaa.h (step3) you will get errors here.
5.Once compiled error free, at the command prompt type "./ppup1090". This should start ppup1090 running, and you will get a countdown message till the next upload. Uploads occur every 60 seconds, and you should get a count of the number of aircraft uploaded, with position and positionless, and a status message giving you an Ok message and a time. It can also print out some cryptic error codes if you are doing something wrong, or attempting to abuse the PP system. You will have to contact me to know what they mean. Some of them indicate that you have fiddled with code that you should not have!
Notes
ppup1090 must be started after dump1090. If dump1090 is not running when you attempt to run ppup1090 then ppup1090 will terminate.
If ppup1090 is being run on the same RPi as the main dump1090, then no command line arguments should be necessary. ppup1090 defaults to connecting to dump1090 via 127.0.0.1:30005, which is the loopback IP address and default beast output port.
However, if you're running dump1090 on a separate RPi, then yes, you do need to specify the IP address of the RPi running dump1090. And if you're running dump1090 with a different beast output port to the default (30005) then you also need to specify that. The command line in either case should be something like:
ppup1090 --net-bo-ipaddr <IPv4> --net-bo-port <port>
Anyway, give it a go and see what happens. I'm not claiming it'll be an easy install, and there may well still be issues, but hopefully it should give those of us with remote RPi installs the ability to upload to PP 24/7.
If you get errors, please post (on the Yahoo group) the exact command line arguments you're using for both dump1090 and ppup1090, together with any error messages and I'll attempt to work out what is going on.
Compiling
Malcolm has created separate makefiles for dump1090, view1090 and ppup1090, and these can be run with the command line "make -f makedump1090", "make -f makeview1090" and "make -f makeppup1090". Running the make command on its own creates just dump1090 and view1090.
Once compiled error free, at the command prompt type "./ppup1090 &". This runs the program in the background and allows it to continue running after you log out.
Checking it's working....
Look at the personalised coaa.h you were sent (use the cat command), and you will see a hex authorisation code - something like 123abc. Substitute that hex string in the URL:
PlanePlotter from COAA - Network test
and you should get a report like this:
PlanePlotter installation 123321
Time last accessed (UTC) User Count Last acft up Tot acft up
2013-11-25 11:01:34 <your-name> 44486 14 417769
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